JPH10321313A - Structure of narrow pitch connector - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent terminals from being deformed when the terminals contact with each other, and reliably maintain the connection of the mutual terminals even when they are used in a severe working environment by sandwiching at least one of a male terminal and a female terminal in the plate thickness direction in a connector housing. SOLUTION: A male terminal 3 is put in a laterally turning posture, and its front end surface is faced to a rear end opening of an installing groove 2 arranged on both side wall surfaces of respective projecting parts 10, and the male terminal 3 is inserted and pressed in the inmost part of the installing groove 2, and the male terminal 3 is installed in a housing 1a of a male connector 1. A female terminal 6 is put in a longitudinally turning posture, and the tip sides of respective projecting pieces 61 are faced to a rear end opening of an installing groove 5 arranged on upper and layer wall surfaces of a female connector 4, and the female terminal is pressed in the inmost part of the installing groove 5, and the female terminal 6 is installed in a housing of the female connector 4. Both terminals 3 and 6 are guided by guide surfaces 11 and 41, and rough positioning is performed. Next, the female terminal 6 is accurately positioned by being brought into contact with a guide surface 12 arranged in the projecting parts 10 of the housing 1a of the male connector 1, and both terminals 3 and 6 are smoothly connected to each other.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a structure of a narrow-pitch connector used for connecting electronic devices in a place having a poor working environment such as a production line of an automobile.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as this kind of connector, there are provided male and female connectors which can be fitted to each other, and the male connector has a male terminal made of a round, square pin or plate-like material attached to a housing, and the female connector has a housing. It is generally known that a female terminal having a shape for receiving and wrapping a male terminal is provided in a housing. There is also a connector in which a tuning-fork type female terminal having a bifurcated tip is mounted in a housing. In the case of a connector using this tuning fork type female terminal, an FFC (flexible flat cable), FPC (flexible printed circuit), PCB (printed circuit board), or the like is used as a male side to which the female terminal is fitted. . These are configured by attaching a metal foil to an outer surface of an insulating sheet or a substrate or plating a metal conductor to form a portion corresponding to a male terminal.

[0003]

In the case of a narrow pitch connector, there is an advantage that it is possible to cope with the miniaturization and high density of an electronic device. On the other hand, a small terminal is mounted on a connector housing, and the pitch interval is 0.5 to 0.5 mm. It is as small as 2.0 mm. Therefore, when using the above-mentioned round, square pins or plate-like male terminals for such a narrow pitch connector,
Since these terminals need to be small, terminal bending or the like is likely to occur when connected to the other terminal. On the other hand, when the female terminal of the tuning fork type is used, it is most suitable for narrowing the pitch. However, when the female terminal is fitted to the FFC, FPC, PCB, or the like, the metal conductor due to the foil or plating is easily peeled off. Further, when used in a harsh environment, the resin portion such as a terminal backing plate may creep in a high-temperature atmosphere, which may reduce the reliability of terminal connection.

In view of the above circumstances, the present invention prevents the terminals from being deformed at the time of connection between the terminals, and reliably maintains the connection between the terminals even when used in a place where the use environment is severe. It is an object of the present invention to provide a structure of a narrow-pitch connector capable of maintaining the property.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a narrow-pitch connector according to the present invention has a structure in which a male connector comprising a plate-shaped male terminal and a connector housing for holding the male terminal is fitted with the male terminal. A female connector comprising a tuning fork-type female terminal and a connector housing for holding the female terminal. At least one of the male terminal and the female terminal is held in the connector housing in the thickness direction.

According to this configuration, when fitting the housings of the male and female connectors to connect the terminals to each other, at least one of the terminals is sandwiched by the connector housing. However, reliable connection can be made without deformation. Therefore, it is possible to suitably use the narrow pitch connector.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the male and female terminals are formed of a conductive metal. Since such metal male and female terminals are unlikely to cause creep,
Even when used in a severe environment, even when connected for a long time, a sufficient contact pressure can be maintained and reliability can be maintained.

It is preferable that a guide surface for positioning the male and female terminals is formed in the connector housings of the male and female connectors when these two housings are fitted together. According to this configuration, when the two housings are fitted, the male and female terminals are positioned by the guide surfaces provided on the housings, and the terminals are connected to each other after this positioning, so that the terminals can be connected smoothly and reliably. Suitable for use in places with poor working environment.

Further, it is preferable that the male and female terminals are respectively engaged with the connector housing and locked against a force in a removing direction. With this configuration, when the two connector housings are fitted or removed, the connection and disconnection of the male and female terminals can be reliably performed without moving the terminals freely.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIGS. 1 and 3 show the overall structure of a male connector of a narrow pitch connector according to the present invention, and FIGS. 2 and 4 show the overall structure of the female connector. The male connector 1 has a box-shaped connector housing 1a made of synthetic resin with one side opened, and a plurality of protrusions 10 extending from the inner wall to the near side of the opening in this housing 1a. The mounting grooves 2 are formed on the opposite side wall surfaces of the protrusions 10 at equal intervals, and thin metal flat male terminals 3 made of metal are laterally press-fitted into the mounting grooves 2. It is mounted in a sandwiched shape.

On the other hand, the female connector 4 is
And has a box-shaped connector housing 4a made of a synthetic resin having an opening on one side, and a plurality of mounting grooves 5 formed on the upper and lower inner wall surfaces of the housing 4a so as to face each other. In each of the mounting grooves 5, a thin-walled, flat, tuning-fork type female terminal 6 made of metal is mounted vertically at equal intervals.

The male terminal 3 is, as apparent from FIG.
When press-fitted into the mounting groove 2 and mounted, the front end face 31 located on the front side of the front end of the protrusion 10, the corners 32 provided on the left and right sides of the front end face 31, and the rear end substantially parallel to the middle. A first parallel surface 33, 33 extending to the length; and inclined portions 34, 34 formed continuously at the rear of the parallel surface 33 and inclining to the left and right outward in a widening manner toward the rear.
And stepped portions 35, 35 extending orthogonally inward from the rear end toward the center of the male terminal 3, and second parallel surfaces 36, 36 extending rearward from the stepped portion 35 in parallel with each other. It is formed in the shape of a tip.

The mounting groove 2 for mounting the male terminal 3 is provided.
As shown in FIG. 7, the front end 21 is provided on the front side of the tip of the protrusion 10 in the housing 1 a of the male connector 1, and a part of the front end 31 of the male terminal 3 engages with the corner 32. When,
The groove main portion 22 extends linearly from this portion to the rear end. Such a groove 2 is formed on the opposing side wall surface of each of the protrusions 10 so as to be opposed to each other, and the interval between the opposing groove bottoms is the same as that of the portion where the parallel surfaces 33, 33 and It corresponds to the width. Then, the male terminal 3 is press-fitted between the opposed mounting grooves 2 and 2 so that the male terminal 3
Of the mounting groove 2 abuts against the front end 21 of the mounting groove 2, and the rear end of the inclined portion 34 bites into the wall surface of the groove main portion 22, and the male terminal 3 is locked in the mounting groove 2. The male terminal 3 is sandwiched between the protrusions 10 in a horizontal direction.

As shown in FIG. 8, the female terminal 6
When the housing 4 is press-fitted and mounted, the fork-like projections 61, 61 which are located on the front side of the front end of the housing 4 and which can be elastically deformed in the vertical direction, and are provided on both upper and lower surfaces of each of the projections 61 from the front end to near the rear. Inclined portions 62, 62 which are formed and are inclined in a widening manner in the vertical direction from the front end to the rear, and step portions 63, 63 extending vertically from the rear end toward the center of the female terminal 6; And parallel surfaces 64, 64 extending rearward and parallel from the portion 63.

The mounting groove 5 for mounting the female terminal 6 is provided.
As is apparent from FIG. 8, a stepped portion 51 is formed vertically inward of the center of the connector housing 4a toward the center inward, and the leading end side of each protruding piece 61 of the female terminal 6 is engaged with the stepped portion 51. A groove main portion 62 extends linearly from the step portion 51 to the rear end. Such a groove 5 is formed on the upper and lower inner wall surfaces of the housing 4 so as to face each other. The distance between the bottoms of the grooves is wider than the width of the tip of the female terminal 6 and the inclined portions 62 and
62 is narrower than the width at the rear end position. When the female terminal 6 is press-fitted between the opposed mounting grooves 5, 5, the front end of the projecting piece 61 of the female terminal 6 abuts the step 51 of the mounting groove 5, and the rear end of the inclined portion 62 is Groove main part 6
2, the female terminal 6 is locked in the mounting groove 5, and in this state, the female terminal 6 is vertically held between the upper and lower wall surfaces of the housing 4a of the female connector 4. .

Each of the housings 1a and 4a is provided with a guide surface for positioning the terminals 3 and 6 before the male and female terminals 3 and 6 are connected when the two are fitted. That is, the inner periphery of the opening of the housing 1a of the male connector 1 is cut obliquely so that the tip side becomes thin, and a first guide surface 11 for guiding the housing 4a of the female connector 4 is formed. In addition, the outer periphery of the opening of the housing 4a of the female connector 4 is cut obliquely so that the distal end side is thin, and while the housing 1a of the male connector 1 is guided along the first guide surface 11 at the time of fitting. A second guide surface 41 for roughly positioning the terminals 3 and 6 is formed. Further, the outer periphery of the distal end of each of the projections 10 is cut obliquely, and when the housings 1a and 4a are fitted together, they come into contact with the female terminal 6 and guide the female terminal 3 toward the male terminal 3. A third guide surface 12 to be connected to each other while performing accurate positioning, and an inclined surface 13 to prevent interference with the housing 4a of the female connector 4 are formed. Further, in the embodiment shown in each figure, an inclined surface 42 is formed around the inside of the opening of the housing 4a of the female connector 4 to prevent interference with the projection 10 when the two housings 1 and 4 are fitted.

Next, the operation of the above configuration will be described. First, the male terminal 3 is attached to the housing 1a of the male connector 1.
When mounting, as shown in FIG. 7, the male terminal 3 is placed in a horizontal position, and the front end face 31 faces the rear end opening of the mounting groove 2 provided on both side wall surfaces of each projection 10. The male terminal 3 is inserted into the inside of the inner part 2 with the carrier and press-fitted. Thereby, as described above, the male terminal 3
Of the mounting groove 2 abuts against the front end 21 of the mounting groove 2, and the rear end of the inclined portion 34 bites into the wall surface of the groove main portion 22.
The male terminal 3 is press-fitted and locked so as to be immovable with respect to the force in the fitting and removing directions of the housings 1a and 4a.

On the other hand, when the female terminal 6 is mounted on the housing 4a of the female connector 4, as shown in FIG. The female terminal 6 is pressed into the inside of the mounting groove 5 in the same manner as described above. As a result, as described above, the front end of the projecting piece 61 of the female terminal 6 comes into contact with the step portion 51 of the mounting groove 5, and the rear end of the inclined portion 62 bites into the wall surface of the groove main portion 62. Are press-fitted and locked so as not to move with respect to the force in the fitting and removing directions of the housings 1a and 4a.

When the housings 1a, 4a of the male and female connectors 1, 4 are fitted, first, the first and second guide surfaces 11, 41 provided on the opening side thereof come into contact with each other. 41 indicates the housing 4 of the female connector 4
The male and female terminals 3 and 6 are roughly positioned while a is guided inside the male connector 1 housing 1a.
Subsequently, the female terminal 6 is connected to the housing 1 of the male connector 1.
a abuts on the third guide surface 12 provided on the projection 10,
While the female terminal 6 is guided to the male terminal 3 side, accurate positioning of both is performed, and the upper and lower protruding pieces 61 of the vertically oriented female terminal 6 are inserted into the laterally oriented male terminal 3 while being elastically deformed. And are connected to each other smoothly and securely.

When the two housings 1 and 4 are fitted and removed, the male and female terminals 3 and 6 are locked against the fitting and removing forces of the housings 1 and 4 as described above. Therefore, the male and female terminals 3, 6 do not move on their own, and the connection and disconnection of both are reliably performed. Further, since the male and female terminals 3 and 6 are pressed and held in the mounting grooves 2 and 5 provided in the housings 1 and 4, the terminals 3 and 6 are thin as in a narrow pitch connector structure. Even when these are used, reliable connection can be made without deformation. In addition, since the male and female terminals 3, 6 are made of metal, they do not creep even when used in a harsh environment, so that the terminals 3, 6 can be used.
The connection can be performed reliably, and even if the connection is made for a long time, a sufficient contact pressure is maintained and the reliability can be maintained.

Next, specific test results of the present invention will be described. The above-mentioned male and female terminals were formed by punching using a copper alloy material having a thickness of 0.3 mm. In addition, a connector housing having a minimum thickness of 0.4 mm (for example, in a male connector housing, the height from the mounting groove to the upper and lower surfaces of the protrusion and the length from the left and right outer surfaces) is formed by injection molding. Connect the male and female terminals to 2.
Narrow pitch connectors were manufactured by press fitting at 0 mm pitch intervals. This connector does not bend the terminal even after 100 times of fitting and withdrawing operations.
Even if the cooling / heating cycle of 500 ° C. is performed 500 times, there is no change in the electric resistance value, and the connector is optimal as a narrow pitch connector.

In the above embodiment, the male and female terminals 3 and 6 are press-fitted into the connector housings 1a and 4a, respectively, so as to be clamped.
May be press-fitted into the connector housing and clamped, and the other side may be attached to the housing by other means.

[0024]

As described above, in the narrow-pitch connector structure of the present invention, the male terminal is plate-shaped, the female terminal is on the tuning fork, and at least one of the male terminal and the female terminal is sandwiched by the connector housing. When connecting the male and female terminals, these terminals can be reliably prevented from being deformed, and even when used in a place with a bad working environment, the terminals can be securely connected to each other to improve reliability. Can be.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a male connector housing to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the female connector housing.

FIG. 3 is a front view of the male connector housing.

FIG. 4 is a front view of the female connector housing.

FIG. 5 is a plan sectional view showing a main part of the male and female connector housings.

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a main part of the male and female connector housings.

FIG. 7 is a plan view of a male terminal and its mounting groove.

FIG. 8 is a plan view of the female terminal and its mounting groove.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Male connector 1a Connector housing 3 Male terminal 4 Female connector 4a Connector housing 6 Female terminal 11, 12, 41 Guide surface

Claims (4)

[Claims] A male connector comprising a plate-shaped male terminal and a connector housing for holding the male terminal; a tuning fork-type female terminal fitted with the male terminal; and a female connector comprising a connector housing for holding the male terminal. A structure of a narrow-pitch connector, wherein at least one of the male terminal and the female terminal is held in a connector housing in a thickness direction. 2. The narrow-pitch connector structure according to claim 1, wherein the male and female terminals are formed of a conductive metal. 3. The connector housing according to claim 1, wherein a guide surface for positioning the male and female terminals is formed in the connector housings of the male and female connectors when the two housings are fitted together. Narrow pitch connector structure. 4. The structure of a narrow-pitch connector according to claim 1, wherein the male terminal and the female terminal are respectively engaged with the connector housing and locked against a force in a removing direction.